This is what the minister said in the parliamentary debate on his long-term approach to Corona. The House prefers to prevent the closure and fears the capacity of the GGDs.

Kuipers do not share this latter concern. Three million people could be vaccinated within six weeks. That seems enough for him. Kuipers concerned about the vaccination rate.

The minister said the turnout for the latest round of vaccinations was “disappointing”. In that round, earlier this year, all people over 60 and people in poor health were able to get a second booster dose. Many people do not.

No more IC capacity

Kuipers sees no benefit in the House’s desire to expand IC capacity. According to him, there is sufficient capacity, with 993 beds scheduled for staff. Of those, 686 were in use yesterday. Corona patients are found in 24 of this family.

If necessary, it can be increased up to 1700 IC beds. The minister said that IC departments could not handle more. Then there will not be enough staff available for each patient and regular care will be in trouble.

Kuipers cannot now indicate the need for stricter measures. In the previous crisis, pressure on healthcare and intensive care occupancy was the main factor in the actions to be taken. “The situation is different now. I can’t predict now whether the number of infections will lead, or the pathogenicity of a variable.”

Corona law passed

The minister indicated that the Cabinet now has no legal options to impose measures such as wearing face masks or keeping a distance. This legal basis disappeared after the Senate rejected a new extension of the temporary Corona Act.

This corona is not out of the world yet, it turns out this week. The Rolling Stones had to cancel their concert because Mick Jagger had coronavirus. Much to the disappointment of fans: